As public support for stricter teen social media restrictions gains momentum globally, European policymakers are meeting in Brussels this week to deliberate on the future of online age restrictions. A key focus of these discussions will be the implementation of effective age verification approaches.
Tech giant Google is participating in the discussions, having recently outlined its perspective on age checking. Google highlights the inherent challenges of verifying user ages safely and effectively, describing the current debate as a "false choice between weak age gates and invasive ID scans."
“Our research supports a ‘risk-based’ approach where assurance matches risk. That means less intrusive assurance methods in most areas - news, education, or travel - and stronger checks for things like adult content or alcohol sales. The rigour matches the risk.”
Google acknowledges the public's desire for stronger online protections but also notes significant concerns about personal data exposure, particularly regarding ID scans and potential data breaches. The company argues that the invasiveness of age verification methods should be proportionate to the associated risk.
The Debate Over Responsibility
A central point of contention is where the primary responsibility for age verification should lie. Google asserts that "liability and responsibility rest with every service owner - the developer, the publisher, the app creator - because they know what they are offering." The company draws an analogy, stating, "You don’t expect the credit card company to check if you are old enough to buy alcohol; the store should do that."
However, this stance contrasts with arguments from other major platforms, including Meta, which advocate for a more centralized approach. Meta has repeatedly suggested that app stores like Google Play and Apple's App Store should handle age verification. This would create a universal system, alleviating the burden on individual app developers and significantly reducing the number of times users need to submit sensitive identifying information.
“By verifying a teen’s age on the app store, individual apps would not be required to collect potentially sensitive identifying information. Apps would only need the age from the app store to ensure teens are placed in the right experiences for their age group. Parents and teens won’t need to provide the hundreds of apps their teens use with sensitive information like government IDs.”
This approach, Meta argues, would address Google's own concerns about privacy risks associated with multiple, potentially invasive, age-checking methods across various apps. While such a system would place greater onus and potential liability on Apple and Google, it could lead to more consistent enforcement and fewer opportunities for data leaks.
Australia's Precedent and Challenges
The practical complexities of implementing age restrictions are currently playing out in Australia, which is close to launching its own teen social media restriction laws. Effective December 10th, the new legislation will require social media platforms to "take reasonable steps" to restrict access for users under 16.
In response, Meta has begun notifying Australian teens about upcoming, more stringent age-checking processes. However, as reported by Bloomberg, Meta has "cautioned that there remained a ‘significant’ margin of error when determining whether a user is 16 years or older, and it expects to misidentify an unspecified number of underage users, as well as those who are legally allowed to hold accounts.”
A key flaw in Australia's approach is its failure to mandate a specific age verification method. Instead, the government has simply stated that "adequate age verification tools are available." This "reasonable steps" clause provides considerable legal leeway for platforms, making it challenging for local authorities to enforce penalties effectively.
Many anticipate that the impact of this law may be minimal, with teens finding ways to circumvent measures and platforms asserting they are taking "reasonable steps," regardless of their actual effectiveness. Regulators worldwide will undoubtedly be closely observing Australia's experience as the EU considers its own path forward.
